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5 Content Strategies from Big Brands to Increase Engagement on Social Media

No matter what your social media budget is, there’s nothing that can be a substitute for good content. If you’re looking to spark a conversation with your fans and see engagement similar to that of bigger brands, a simple tried and trued method is to learn from what they do right and see how those strategies fit into your own social media content.

While you may not be able to create anything with the virality of Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest, creating a video contest with a public voting aspect will draw people to your page. The key is to make sure that the prize is worth the time and effort that your fans will put into making their videos. The virality of video campaigns comes from participants sharing their video and encouraging friends and family to vote.

2. Share Customer Stories

Asking customers to share their story is a great way to learn how the use and interact with your product. Twitter is the perfect platform for this strategy because the 140 character limit forces customers to be creative with how they tell their story. Dunkin’ Donuts this one by asking their Twitter audience how Dunkin’ Donuts coffee fit into their everyday lives. After selecting the winners, the company asked them to star in their own commercial, which they filmed, uploaded to YouTube and shared on Twitter to ask for more stories.

3. Add an element of Fun

Don’t think that you have to offer a prize in exchange for comments. Instead, try asking trivia questions. Out-of-the-box questions about your business, such as the year it was started or your most popular product, work best. Don’t forget to post the answer later that day; your curious fans will want to know if they answered correctly.

4. Ask for Customer Ideas

It’s human nature to want to share your opinion. Enlist the help of your social media audience to help brainstorm new product features. They use your products on a regular basis and probably already have some ideas for improvement. If you like the suggestions you receive, follow up with posts highlight how you have implemented the changes.

5. Provide Recurring Content

Whether you decide to participate in an established recurring hashtag, such as #TBT (Throwback Tuesday), or create your own, the key to creating recurring content is to make sure it doesn’t fizzle out. Utilize the Facebook schedule feature or Hootsuite to sync the recurring posts in advance so you do not forget. Without consistency, your fans will lose interest.

The key to all of these strategies is consistency. Once customers know to expect certain types of content, they will keep coming back to see the next installment, which leads fan loyalty and more discussion.

Does your social media and creative strategy needs an upgrade, but you’re not quite sure where to start? Sign up for our free social media assessment to discuss your social media goals and challenges. You’ll get actionable tips and recommendations on next steps.